08 adopting agile - challenges and approachminisites.qaiglobalservices.com/stc2012/paper_...

Adopting Agile

© 2009 Infosys Technologies Limited© 2009 Infosys Technologies Limited© 2009 Infosys Technologies Limited

Adopting Agile Challenges and Approach

Abstract

What's discussed in this paper?

1.Every one is following Agile, should I?

2.What are the benefits of following Agile?

3.What’s the success rate for projects following Agile methodology?

4.What are the practical challenges faced while adopting Agile

© 2009 Infosys Technologies Limited

4.What are the practical challenges faced while adopting Agilemethodology?

5.Can we measure the projects preparedness for adopting Agilemethodology?

6.How to be prepared for adapting Agile methodology?

7.When to say NO for implementing agile?

Sandeep Rachapudi – Technical Test Lead

• Sandeep Rachapudi is a Project Manager with Infosys Limited. He is currently

responsible for managing testing teams that work on Agile methodology for a major

US based Mutual Fund Company.

• He has over 10 years of experience in software testing and has worked on various

projects implemented in waterfall, iterative, V-Model and Agile methodologies.

• He is associated with Infosys for the past 6 years and successfully Adopted Agile


• He is associated with Infosys for the past 6 years and successfully Adopted Agile

methodology for various projects over the last 2 years.

• He holds Computer Science Engineering degree from Karnataka University.

• He is CSTE and OCA certified with experience in Functional and Automation testing.

He predominantly worked on Banking and Capital Markets domain.

Agile – Key Concepts/Values

• Individuals and interactions over processes and tools

• Working software over comprehensive documentation

• Customer collaboration over contract negotiation

• Responding to change over a plan being followed


• Responding to change over a plan being followed

4

Industry Trends

Going by various IT survey results:

• Perceived project success rate for projects implemented in Agile is55% - 65%

• Perceived project success rate for projects implemented inTraditional methodologies is 40% - 50%


Traditional methodologies is 40% - 50%

• Percentage of survey respondents recommending Agilemethodology varies between 55% - 75%

Success Factor/Benefit Priority

Intended Functionality First

Industry Trends (Continued)

Important success factors for projects implemented in Agile, in comparison with Traditional methodologies


Intended Functionality First

Reduced Time To Market Second

Costs Less Third

Quality Fourth

Industry Trends (Continued)

Agile methodology definitely has better success rates in comparison to the

traditional methodologies. This still leaves us with the following questions:

1. Why at least a quarter of the population (in this case survey

respondents) are not convinced about Agile as the methodology to

follow?


2. Why does the latest and the best known methodology in software

development and testing does not has the desired project success

rates? Say >80%

Adopting Agile – Challenges

�Project management and execution issues that are easily dealt in

traditional methodologies, turn into challenges while adapting Agile

methodology.

Lets classify these challenges as:

� People


� People

� Process

� Technology

� Governance

People – Challenges

• Varying level of knowledge among the team members

• Communication issues with distributed teams

• Communication skills

• Attiration

• Team Ramp-up

• Mindset and maturity to start thinking the Agile way


• Mindset and maturity to start thinking the Agile way

Process – Challenges

• Documentation

• Client collaboration

• Process exploitation


Technology – Challenges

• Test automation vs Test Driven Development

• Test planning and execution vs Developed components

• Integration testing of too many smaller components

• Regression testing followed by system integration


Governance – Challenges

• Onsite-offshore model

• Experience levels of team members

• Monitoring SCRUM calls


Agile – People Approach

• Train the team on Agile methodology with focus on how its different from

traditional methodologies

• Ensure right team mix

• Get the team into confidence for their participation in daily SCRUM

• Adjust the work environment to match daily SCRUM calls with onsite team


Agile – Process Approach

• Get a buy in from the team on what is “Optimum Documentation” – this

varies form project to project

• Ensure daily SCRUM calls help in finding solutions rather than finding

faults with the team members

• Primary focus of SCRUM is to proceed further by resolving issues and not

for status updated


Agile –Following Test Driven Development Approach


Agile – Technology and Governance Approach

• Understand the design document and suggest changes if the design can

impact testing

• Ensure team has the right skill set required

• Invest in tools that support Agile project management

• Budget for Agile coach


Agile – Readiness Indicator

Sl No Factor Value PointsWeightage

(%)

1

Team understands key

differences between Agile and

Traditional methodologies?

Improvement Area

No -2

15Yes 2


2

Client understands the level of

involvement required from

their end?

Improvement Area

No -2

15Yes 2

3 Domain

Scientific/Researc

h-1

10Health Care 0

Finance 2

Agile – Readiness Indicator (Continued)


(%)

4 Project Type

Application Support 0

10Application Maintenance 1

Application Development 2

USA -1


5

Time gap in

onsite:offshore model

(IND as Offshore)

USA -1

5AUS 0

EUR 1

6 Project Budgeting

Outsourced 0

5Collaborative 1

In House Development 2



(%)

7Team distribution

Improvement Area

Onsite:Offshore 0

5Spread across same geo 1

Co-located 2

Does team members No -1


8

Does team members

follow clients accent?

Improvement Area

No -1

5To some extent 0

Yes 1

9 Client Language

Non-English -1

5English 1



(%)

10

Budgeted for project

management tool?

Improvement Area

No 0

5Yes 1


11

Does testing team has scripting

skills?

Improvement Area

No 05

Yes 1

12

Optimum documentation

defined and agreed by the

team?

Improvement Area

No -1

5Yes 1



(%)

13

Does the team has right

mix of experienced people

Improvement Area

No 0

5

Yes 1

Budgeted for Agile Coach No 0


14Budgeted for Agile Coach

Improvement Area

No 0

5

Yes 1

Possible Least Score -9

Possible Maximum Score 20

Agile – Analyze Readiness Indicator

• Lower score means a lot of ground work needs to be done before adapting

Agile methodology in the project

• The checklist can help identify the risks/challenges that the project could

face while implementing Agile. This helps us in being more prepared for

adapting the methodology

• Weigthage is to indicate the level of impact


Agile Readiness Indicator - When to Go Agile?

• Project scores above 12/20 points

• Project should not be awarded -2 on any of the factors

• When there is willingness to score more points by working on

improvement areas before start of project


Agile Readiness Indicator - When NOT to Go

Agile?

• If project scores 0 or negative points on all factors with weightage of 10-15

%

• If people issues are not sorted out

• If project scope and mission conflicts with any of the Key Agile Concepts:

� Individuals and interactions over processes and tools


� Individuals and interactions over processes and tools

� Working software over comprehensive documentation

� Customer collaboration over contract negotiation

� Responding to change over a plan being followed

Basis for Agile Readiness Indicator

• Most of the projects fail while following Agile methodology, as they

start adapting the new methodology without investing enough time in

checking the teams readiness and maturity to adapt Agile

• Some of the simplest project management issues that are easily dealt in

traditional methodologies turn into challenges while adapting Agile

methodology.


Agile Readiness Indicator can help overcome the above challenges

Agile – Conclusion

• Agile is more people dependent than any other traditional

methodologies.

• Moving toward Agile from traditional methodologies is not just a

transition period. It involves being prepared for the change in the way

we communicate, coordinate, document, script and validate.

• Being prepared to accept the changes that come up with Agile is the

key to success.


key to success.

Q&A

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Thank You


08 adopting agile - challenges and approachminisites.qaiglobalservices.com/stc2012/paper_...

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